The student movement in Serbia, which has demonstrated against the government of Aleksandar Vučić for six months, has now asked for early parliamentary elections.
The pressure on the deadly location at Novi Sad station in November 2024 has already caused a series of arrests of the incident officials, the resignation of the mayor and the ministers and the fall of the government.
Students now say that “the voice of youth is not only noise, but a force that can initiate changes, restore dignity and awaken the hope of justice and freedom”.
“We really hope that the government will support the extraordinary parliamentary elections, as for the list of candidates, we have agreed that students will not appear on this list. In the future, we will be satisfied with the way this list will be formed,” student activist Nikola Lončarević told Euronews Serbian.
The solution? It is not the vote, it is the dialogue
The Green-Left Front Party opposition said that in recent months, the leader coalition has lost its legitimacy to lead the country and provide absolute support for students because they have a common objective: the renewal of institutions and the democratization of society.
“The essential demand for parliamentary elections and the request for opposition for a transitional government are the same,” said Natalija Stojmenović on the Green Front.
“I think that the objective is to deactivate the (power party) first, then, with a clear majority, evolve towards a better and better electoral conditions,” she added.
The deputy of the SPS UGLJEša Marković Party, who is part of the ruling coalition, said that the parliamentary majority was stable, as shown by the formation of the new government.
The way to improve the situation in the company does not go through polling stations, but through the dialogue led by the new Prime Minister đuro Macut and the university rector Vladan đokić, according to Marković.
“The SPS is never afraid of the elections, but I repeat: we are not in favor of extraordinary elections, there must be a four -year cycle in order to have continuity,” said Marković.
The members of the parliamentary majority are of a similar opinion. The president of Parliament, Ana Brnabić, said that the requirements of the students were only a cunning, and everything was political from the start.
Meanwhile, SNS President Miloš Vučević said that Snap elections have become a priority for demonstrators “when the revolution and the request of a transitional government failed.”
“We are ready to speak, the elections are always a subject of politics. But if we were to participate in something that would lead to a disaster for the country, if they were to speak of extraordinary elections and then create chaos in polling stations and not allow them to speak immediately of theft,” said Vučević.
“They will not see that happening where we arrive in a state where we have no parliament and a government. I heard these scams and these tips.”
Serbia's New Democratic Party Democratic Party Miloš Jovanović is not in favor of the idea of new elections.
ADVERTISEMENT“It is a shame that the transitional government is abandoned, because it is the only reasonable solution for the creation of fair elections,” he said.
The vast majority of liberal opposition parties in Serbia have argued the appeal of student demonstrators for early elections.
